Useless
by Hiril Moon
Summary: Set in AU (dubbed) second series. Created by an insane teenager who watched two hours of CardCaptors, adverts and other things. Various events are set in motion by an Eli of different powers, including Li running away and an onset of memories...
1. Useless

Useless  
  
My name's Sakura Avalon, and I'm the Master of the Clow Cards. The Clow Cards are cards that have different magical abilities, like Dash, Windy, or Loop.  
  
I had to capture all of them after I accidentally set them free. Kero Beros, the Guardian Beast of the Seal, gave me a special magical staff to capture them with, but I changed it during the Final Judgement.  
  
The Final Judgement was a battle against the second Guardian, Yue. Whilst Kero is ruled by the Sun, Yue is ruled by the Moon. He almost defeated me, but I changed the staff and beat him using the Windy Card.  
  
I didn't capture the cards alone, though. I had some help from my best friend Madison, a great fighter called Meilin, and a descendant of Clow Reed (the creator of the Clow Cards), Li Showron.  
  
I thought my life would get easier after that, but apparently not. A powerful force has settled here, and weird things keep happening, like a teddy bear becoming enormous and attacking me!  
  
However, there's this really nice new kid at school called Eli Moon, and he just seems to make everything seem better. Li doesn't seem to like him though. He keeps acting strange, and if Eli and I go somewhere together, he always insists on coming too. I don't understand why, but I'm sure he'll tell me sometime.  
  
**************************************************************************  
  
I ducked as another arrow whistled towards me. My class had been looking round the museum, and our guide had let us pass around this great bow and quiver, the latter full of arrows.  
  
But when the guide got them back, they jumped out of his hands and started acting as if invisible ones held them. An arrow would jump out of the quiver, set itself in the bow and then fire itself. at ME!  
  
When the class scattered, I hid behind a statue and transformed the Time Card into a Star Card. If the cards are going to work with the new staff, they have to become Star Cards.  
  
Anyway, Time froze everyone but me and Li, but I thought I saw someone run out of the door. I was about to follow when another arrow fired itself at me. I looked at Li to see if he knew what was happening, and I saw he had that focused expression when he's about to use his sword, magically or physically.  
  
But the elements Fire and Water didn't work, and Wind and Earth probably wouldn't help either. I tried the Erase Card, but some kind of magical shield was protecting it.  
  
Another arrow fired, and I had to roll out of the way quickly. Li was obviously getting worked up, and we didn't have Kero or Yue to help.  
  
Then the bow turned sideways and THREE arrows positioned themselves, then fired. Two shot towards me, but the third headed for Li. I leapt to my feet and shoved him to the side, but the arrow struck my shoulder. I screamed as the blood started flowing.  
  
Then I heard Li scream, "SAKURA!" Another three arrows struck me, one on the other shoulder, the other two on either side of my chest (Note: Just scratched her deeply enough to draw blood, not anything else).  
  
I collapsed to the floor, blood gushing over my uniform. However, I still saw what happened. Li screamed something that sounded like a battle cry, then leapt at the floating weapons. Before another arrow could fire, he brought his sword down, slicing through them like a hot knife through butter.  
  
Then I felt myself blacking out. My last thought before the darkness closed in was, 'What about the magical shield.?'  
  
~*~ POV CHANGE ~*~  
  
As my sword became beads, I dropped down next to her, "Sakura? Sakura, are you OK?"  
  
My name is Li Showron, descendant of Clow Reed. I came to Readington to capture the Clow Cards, but ended up just helping the chosen CardCaptor, Sakura. When Meilin showed up, it was a nightmare, but it got OK when she stopped showing off and acting like I was some great and powerful hero.  
  
When Yue defeated me in the Final Judgement, all I think could think of was what a disappointment I was to my family. Then another force appeared, and so did this creepy kid called Eli. Something about him seems to set off an alarm bell inside me.  
  
At one point, these weird threads came out of nowhere, and fastened themselves to me like I was some kind of puppet. Then they made me attack Sakura, and I felt awful afterwards.  
  
Yue says I need to stay around to help Sakura, and Mother says I need to protect the new Master of the Clow Cards. So I've gone from a descendant of Clow Reed, creator of the Clow Cards, to a lowly sidekick, protecting the really important person.  
  
Some protector. Sakura was hurt badly, because she was protecting ME!  
  
She needed to get to a hospital, but with time frozen, the ambulance would never get here! I reached out and shook her shoulder, not caring about the blood on my hand, "Sakura? SAKURA! You need to start time again! WAKE UP SAKURA!"  
  
I sighed. There was no way she's wake up in time. Reaching into her pocket, I pulled out the Time Card. It looked the same as ever, only pink, and with Sakura's magic circle on the back. Time had used to be one of my cards, before Yue took them.  
  
'I wish I could use it again, just this once. Sakura NEEDS me to,' I thought, closing my hand around it. Then this really bright light started to surround it, and I dropped it in surprise.  
  
When the light faded, I couldn't believe my eyes. The card was back to its old form, and the name `Sakura` had changed to `Li`.  
  
'It's just the way it was when I had it.' Carefully, I picked it up and turned it over, seeing if there were any more differences. No. Apart from my name, it was just the same card Sakura had brought along `Just in Case`.  
  
I slipped it into my pocket, then dragged Sakura behind a display of Samurai weapons. I didn't want everyone thinking that Sakura had teleported into the middle of the room and magically gained wounds. Then I changed the beads into my sword once more, and took out the Time Card. I sighed again, 'Hope this works.'  
  
I threw the card up, "Time!" I slammed the point of my sword against it. All the yellow light that comes when time's frozen flowed into it, and time started again.  
  
**********************************************************************  
  
I lay on my bed, staring at the ceiling. Sakura was in hospital, the Time Card had become a Star Card again, and all that was left was guilt. 'I should have been able to help,' I thought.  
  
All I'd done since the Final Judgement was get in the way. I'd almost killed her once, and I couldn't even help her when she went down that hole that appeared in Penguin Park.  
  
'Why do I stay here?' I asked at loud. I didn't care what Yue and Mum thought. I controlled my life, and I'd decided that I didn't belong here any more.  
  
'But where should I go? I can't go home...' I shook my head. I could just hide in the forest or something, whilst I got my thoughts straight.  
  
My mind was made up. This time, no one would change it.  
  
~*~ POV CHANGE ~*~  
  
I am Kero Beros, Guardian Beast of the Seal. It is my job to guard the cards and their master, Sakura. My power comes from the Sun, and in my true form, I can blast great flames from my mouth.  
  
And I couldn't believe what I was hearing.  
  
Yue had arrived at Sakura's house as Julian Star, his borrowed form. Yue, the second Guardian of the Clow Cards, gets his power and energy from the Moon. When we were alone, he changed, and told me the news.  
  
Li Showron was missing.  
  
I didn't really like him when I first met him, but I have to admit he's helpful. The news of his disappearance troubled me greatly. Maybe even more than Sakura being in hospital. She was strong. She would survive. But kids like Li don't grow on trees.  
  
Yue stood next to the window, looking out at the Moon, "Lately he has been questioning his place in the scheme of things. I have had to tell hi twice now that he is still needed. I fear my advice may have fallen on deaf ears."  
  
I walked up to him; "It's possible he's disappeared because of what happened to Sakura. He may be blaming himself."  
  
Yue nodded, "It's very possible. But the cause is immaterial. WE need him. He has helped Sakura many times, and she has come to rely on him."  
  
I sighed, then looked at the clock, "You should be going."  
  
Yue turned from the window, "I'll keep an eye out for him. You should too."  
  
Then he closed the door behind him.  
  
**********************************************************************  
  
In my borrowed form, a teddy bear with wings and a long tail, I sat on the windowsill, looking out. But I didn't really see anything. I was too focused on the questions inside me.  
  
Sakura had to have used the Time Card, but if she had, how had time started again after she's passed out? Why did Li think he was unimportant? And, most importantly, WHERE WAS HE?  
  
The only one I could even guess at was the middle one. He'd been defeated in the Final Judgement, and as a direct descendant of Clow Reed, that would probably hurt him more deeply than if it had been Sakura who had failed. But would it hurt him so deeply he'd run away?  
  
I sighed. He obviously didn't want to be found. Yue didn't know much, and I couldn't just go to his house and find out what he had taken with him. Or maybe I could..  
  
No. Breaking and entering wouldn't help anything or anyone. Maybe I could try flying over Readington, to see if I could sense him. I nodded. Yes, that would work..  
  
~*~ POV CHANGE ~*~  
  
I am Yue, the Judge, and the second protector of the Clow Cards. When Sakura defeated me in the Final Judgement, I named her the Master of the Clow Cards. However, lately she has been having a few problems.  
  
And Li.. I thought a direct descendant would put up a better fight. Maybe, if he had still been the ice-cold warrior he had been when he arrived in Readington, he would have defeated me or the fight might have been over in no time. No one knows what the future COULD have been. We only know now and what used to be.  
  
But the boy missing.. That required my direct attention. I had no doubt in my heart that his disappearance would affect Sakura greatly. And that could distract her.  
  
However, as Julian, my investigations wouldn't get anywhere. He would be unaware of Li's disappearance, and I wouldn't be able to prod him in anyway. Julian and I are separate entities with the same body, neither of us having direct conversation with the other. Only I am even aware that Julian is more than he seems.  
  
But I believe Sakura's brother, Tori, has sensed me. Several times now he has tried to tell Julian his true identity, but every time the girl Ruby Moon has intervened. Every time, when Tori has gone, she has checked that Julian doesn't know what Tori is trying to tell him. She is special in some way, that much I can sense, but her presence is disruptive.  
  
Li has tried to run twice before, but I was able to stop him both times, and talk some sense into him. However, it seems my advice has already been forgotten. And now he has disappeared completely.  
  
No, not completely. No human can just disappear off the face of the Earth. So, he had to be somewhere. I.. We just needed to find him.  
  
But my powers cannot be supplied by the Moon alone. Until the cards are all transformed, my very existence is in jeopardy. I can't try to sense him with the limited magic I am surviving on, or I will die.  
  
**********************************************************************  
  
Julian sighed as he leant against the fence, thinking. 'I don't know what's going on. I'm so hungry, I've barely got any energy, and I keep having blackouts. What's happening to me?'  
  
It hurts me deeply when Julian is like this. It is my fault this is happening to him, after all. Yet it is necessary. I wish it wasn't, but it is.  
  
Then, if I had been visible and not inside him, I would have jumped 10 feet into the air, for the subject of Li came up. Had he sensed my fear? Or were these his thoughts alone?  
  
'And Li's not here today. He's usually standing around here, but today he isn't. I've never known him not to appear. And he didn't look sick the last time I saw him.  
  
'I wish he was here. It just made everything seem OK to have hi around. He was acting like he had problems too. Even if neither of us said anything, it's nice knowing I'm not the only one with problems.'  
  
Sometimes Julian amazes me. In just a few sentences, he's shown that he understood Li more than me. Very few mortals have had the privilege of outdoing the Guardians of the Clow Cards.  
  
After his school had ended for the day, he took his normal route home through the wood. Julian prefers to walk amongst the trees after school, to sort out his thoughts. And he had a lot to sort through this particular time.  
  
Carefully, so I wouldn't lose too much magic, I scanned the area around him, seeing if I could sense Li. There were some magical traces, but they were so faint I couldn't tell whether they were remains from Sakura using the Clow Cards, or if Li had left them.  
  
Then Julian stopped. I'd forgotten my magic heightens his own senses. If I'm trying to sense something, it tends to increase his vision and hearing. Normally, I try to avoid doing this, but this time it was a good it did.  
  
Something.. No, someONE..was running through the forest. If his senses hadn't been heightened, there would have been no way that Julian could hear or see them. But, as it was, he took off after them, and I willed him on silently. If it was Li..  
  
The figure leapt up into the trees just when it seemed Julian had them, though. But it didn't matter, since they hadn't jumped fast enough. I'd seen the messy brown hair, the ceremonial sword strapped to their back, even though they weren't wearing the entire outfit.  
  
Li Showron.  
  
**********************************************************************  
  
Lady Moon: Woo! My first CardCaptors fic! Go me! Go me!  
  
Fiery Card: Woo. Hoo.  
  
LM: Oh, come on. Give me more than that!  
  
FC: Yay.  
  
LM: OK, you can go back to Sakura, and you can forget about me stealing the Water Card so it'll never bother you again, because now I won't.  
  
FC: (Brief Pause. Then grabs an Oscar thingy) Congratulations Lady Moon! For finishing your first CardCaptors fic, you get a very fake Oscar Award! And a wash from the Bubble Card!  
  
LM: Jeez, you're touchy. That does it. If I ever do a sequel, it's gonna be any card but YOU.  
  
FC: YES!!!!!!!!!  
  
LM: And the Water Card will remain unharmed.  
  
FC: NO!!!!!!!!!  
  
LM: (Grins) YES!!!! Anyway, CardCaptors doesn't belong to me, only the idea for this fic does, which came from watching non-stop CardCaptors and Digimon episodes for about 2 hours! GAH!!!!!  
  
Lady Moon 


	2. Memories

Memories  
  
  
  
I am Eli Moon, the Lord of the Dark Clow Cards. In a way, I am like Sakura Avalon, and yet, at the same time, not like her. She has the Star Staff; I have the Sun Staff.  
  
The difference between the two? The Star Staff uses the power of Sakura's own star, whilst the Sun Staff takes its power from one of the two main powers of the Clow Cards: The Sun. I don't know which of the staffs is more powerful, but I am testing the Star Staff. It and its bearer, Sakura.  
  
It is necessary for there to be Dark Clow Cards and normal Clow Cards, the same way it is necessary for there to be heads and tails on a coin, or there to be day and night. It evens it out, balancing it. If there was just light, just heads, just day, the world would collapse in on itself.  
  
However, I feel darkness needs more power. As long as I don't tip the balance too far, I can gather as much power as I like. And that includes the normal Clow Cards.  
  
Sakura and I are actually alike in many ways. We were both ordinary children before we discovered the Clow Cards. We both received staffs from the sun Guardians of the decks. We both faced a test to prove our worth. And we are both assisted by two guardians of the decks: Kero Beros and Yue in Sakura's case, Spinner's Son and Draka in mine.  
  
Oh wait, maybe I should back up a bit. You don't actually know that much about me. I was raised by my mother, Rachel Moon. My father, Ken, died in a car crash. My mother and my sister, Ruby, never spoke of him.  
  
One day I came home from school and no one was home. It wasn't that unusual for me to be home before Ruby, but my mother was usually always home when I got there. Pondering this, I began to go upstairs, when I heard something. It sounded like the strongest wind ever. Then, out of nowhere, cards started flying past me, obviously caught in the wind I could still hear.  
  
To this day, I don't know why I did what I did next. For some reason, I reached out and grabbed one of them. Before I could look at it though, the rest began to fade away, until they had vanished completely. If I'd tried to catch one even a second later, I would have been too late.  
  
The wind had gone now, leaving no trace of its presence. No furniture had been blown over; no books had been ripped from their shelves, or anything. It was as if I'd imagined all of it. But I hadn't. I'd FELT it, and my hair was still whipped across my face.  
  
Then my attention turned to the card I'd caught. The side facing me was red, with a circle drawn on it in gold. Inside the circle, also in gold, was a picture of the Sun and the Moon, whilst letters in an alphabet I'd never seen or heard of surrounded the edge of the card itself. Then, slowly, I turned it over.  
  
Do you know, if I hadn't turned that card over, none of this would have happened? I'd have carried on being Eli Moon, a regular kid. But, as it was, I did. There was a light-green drawing of fire, lightning, a tornado, and a jet of water meeting in a point that was surrounded by a six-pointed star. Underneath was written `Creation`.  
  
I raised an eyebrow, "`Creation`? What's that meant to mean?" I sat on the bottom of the stairs, pondering, "Creation..."  
  
Suddenly the whole thing was consumed by a light-green light. I yelled out and dropped it. When it landed, the light seemed to rise up out of it, forming something. A long tail, about the same size as its small body, a cat-like head, complete with ears, and a small pair of wings. Then the light faded, and I saw what it was. I guess the best description would be a dark grey small cat cuddly toy, with large bright blue eyes, and a pair of wings and a long tail of the same blue.  
  
It looked around, obviously bewildered, then looked down at the card. Then its mouth moved, and two words came out, "I'm free..." A talking cat cuddly toy. I was certain, by then, that, that I was going mad. There was no other explanation.  
  
I sighed, and it immediately looked up at me. Then it frowned, " You freed me?"  
  
I shook my head, trying to clear it, and muttered, "Depends on how you define `freed`."  
  
It flew up to me, "I define it as letting me out of my prison. The card. Did you say its name?" I nodded, slowly. It glanced back at the card, "In that case, you must have strong magical powers. I wonder..."  
  
Then we heard a key turning in the lock. We shared a brief moment of panic, before I grabbed both him and the card and stuffed them into my open rucksack. About a second later, Ruby opened the door, "Eli? What are you doing on the stairs? You're normally in your room when I come home."  
  
My mouth opened and shut a few times, before I came up with the answer of, "I was just wondering where Mum is. Well, got to go, see you!" Then I leapt up, grabbed my bag, and tore up the stairs. I was sorry about lying to my sister, but what was I supposed to say? `I grabbed a card that came out of nowhere, and a flying, talking cat cuddly toy came out of it`? Oh, I'm so sure she'd believe me.  
  
As soon as I reached my room, I threw my bag onto my bed and opened it. The Cuddly Toy glared up at me, "Would you mind getting me out of here? This is very undignified." How's that for gratitude?  
  
To show I didn't think much of his manners, I picked him up by the tail and flung him across the room. I burst out laughing, but he didn't seem to find it very funny. He glared at me for almost five minutes as I laughed, then sighed, "Typical kids."  
  
I grinned, "Sorry, but you were quite rude. If you speak like that to someone, you've got to be prepared for the consequences."  
  
In response, he flew back into my bag, then came out again, bearing the card. He hovered in front of me, holding it up, "Do you see this card?" Resisting the urge to point out the obvious subject change, I nodded. He pointed at the picture, "This card is packed full of magical power. It's part of a deck of magic cards called the Dark Clow Cards, which are the doubles of the Clow Cards.  
  
"Both of the decks were created by a powerful magician named Clow Reed. Originally, he created the spirits like Song, Dash, and Firey. When the spirits became too wild, he imprisoned them inside cards, which were then called the Clow Cards. When they still proved difficult to control, he created dark versions of the cards, which he called the Dark Clow Cards. Because they were the Dark versions, they evened out the power.  
  
"Now two stacks of magical cards are pretty hard to control, so he created guardians of each deck, two for each, one ruled by the Sun, the other by the Moon. The guardians of the normal Cards are called Kero Beros and Yue, whilst the Dark Clow Cards are guarded by Spinner's Son and Draka. I'm Spinner's Son." He paused, giving me a chance to digest all of this information. Then he went on.  
  
"When he was close to death, Clow Reed created a book to keep the Cards in. So that no one could use them for the wrong purposes, he placed a seal only someone with magical powers could break on it. And, as an extra precaution, he bonded the two decks. If someone did open the book, all they would see would be the normal Cards. If the Clow Cards were released, the Dark Clow Cards would break away and go a different way.  
  
"The Cards' names can only be read by someone with magical powers, which means that you must have at least some. After all, you DID set me free. And the Cards wouldn't have appeared here unless they knew... Well, I guess Destiny could have known... And they need their captor..." He suddenly looked straight at me, bright blue eyes not blinking, "What's your name?"  
  
I blinked, "Eli. Eli Moon."  
  
He lowered the card and pointed at the centre of the room, "OK Eli, stand over there." Wondering what was going on, I obeyed.  
  
Then he lifted up the card, "Powers of Clow, hear me." A light-green light surrounded it, spreading up to him. And then branching out, covering the entire room. Then it darkened slightly, and I noticed I was now standing in the middle of a circle that was the larger version of the one on the back of the card. Then Spinner's Son's voice echoed all around.  
  
"Cards, you have flown free, and I have been released by the boy before me. Now you must return." I could almost feel the Cards gathered around me, and sense their reaction to what he had said. Imagine being freed, only to be told you had to return. Then something rose out of the still glowing card and flew up to me. Spinner's Son went on, "This boy, Eli Moon, was partly chosen by you when you flew before him and allowed Creation to be caught. Now, RELEASE THE POWER!"  
  
Darkness swelled out of the thing in front of me. For a moment, I saw a small golden rod, about the size of a key, with a miniature Sun at the top, and two crescent Moons of the same colour and size, one on each side, curving out of either side. Then it spun around and grew upwards. The Moons disappeared, and a larger disk appeared behind the Sun, which had expanded, so that it was now about the size of my head.  
  
"Eli! Take the staff, before it's too late!" Dimly, I heard Spinner's Son calling out to me. I say `dimly` because I only just heard him over a really loud wind that had started blowing. Then about a thousand voices started talking at once in my head. I yelled in pain and bent over, and Spinner's Son yelled, "Eli! They're trying to stop you taking it! Ignore them!"  
  
I took one step forwards, then something seemed to knock into me from behind. I was falling, and I knew that if I hit the ground, when I got up again, the staff wouldn't be there. But then, by pure luck, I grabbed onto it as I fell forwards, stopping my fall. Instantly, the voices silenced, and I heard Spinner's Son give a yell of triumph, "YES! I, Spinner's Son, name Eli Moon the Captor of the Dark Clow Cards!"  
  
And with those words my life changed completely. Forever.  
  
**************************POV CHANGE**************************  
  
My name is Spinner's Son. I was created by Clow Reed to be the Sun Guardian of the Dark Clow Cards. It was I who gave Eli the Sun Staff, which takes its name from my power. In my borrowed form, I resemble what Eli calls a `cat cuddly toy`. But in my true form, I look like a black and light-blue wildcat. Only I have features no wildcat will ever have. The ability to fly is the first thing that springs to mind.  
  
I was lying in my usual place on the sofa, reading a copy of `The Lord of the Rings`. Eli had said I might like the trilogy, after seeing the way I devoured (not literally) all four of the Harry Potter books. I have always liked reading what humans have written about magic. It can sometimes be very amusing, as I know exactly how far from the truth they are. Eli says I am probably the only being to ever laugh during the battle at the end of `Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets`. But really, hats dropping swords on people's heads? A boy binding his soul to a diary? Even the Creation Card would have a problem creating that.  
  
As I finished reading about the Fellowship's passage through Moria, the door opened and Eli strode in. I could immediately tell something was on his mind, so I shut the book and looked up expectantly. He smiled when he saw my face; "Some interesting things seem to have happened after yesterday's events, Spinner's Son." Yesterday? Oh yes, the trip to the museum. Eli had put a spell on the bow and arrows, so that they had attacked Sakura, the mistress of the Clow Cards.  
  
"The Time Card was changed and used, yet Sakura didn't start time again afterwards. It seems Li did, even though he can't use the Cards since Sakura became their mistress, the Star Cards in particular. But events afterwards are even more interesting. Sakura is now in hospital, because of the wounds the arrows gave her, and Li seems to have disappeared. There's a rumour that he's disappeared."  
  
My ears pricked up at the mention of Li. Although he doesn't remember, Li and Eli met once before, when Eli was trying to capture the Dark Clow cards. By the look on Eli's face, I could tell he was thinking about the same thing.  
  
**************************************************************************  
  
Eli ducked as another burst of fire shot at him. We were fighting the Switch Card, the Dark version of Change. It has the power to become whatever will frighten someone the most, such as, in Eli's case, a flame- throwing demon. Don't ask.  
  
Normally, he would have figured out its weakness by then, but the demon obviously scared (and still scared) him A LOT. It was all he could do to keep dodging the fire. Oh, why did it have to be a FLAME-THROWING demon?  
  
The demon itself was a combination of scary and disgusting, which just made it scarier. It was a slowly rotting human skeleton, with a pair of perfectly formed black dragon wings growing out of its back. But the most disgusting and scary thing about it, the thing that made me want to either throw up or fly away very fast was the fact that its insides were completely 100% visible and working. Its heart was pumping away, blood was running along arteries, veins and capillaries that resembled very thin tubes, its lungs... The image has imprinted itself on my memory, and it won't be going anytime soon, if ever. What movie or what book did he find THAT in? It... Oh GOD!  
  
It had just managed to pin Eli against a tree, keeping me away with its wings, when out of nowhere, a lightning bolt hit it right on the wing bone. For anyone who doesn't know, the wing bone is the bone beings that have both arms and wings (unlike birds, which only have wings) have their wings attached to. And if something hits you there... Well, let me tell you, you won't be flying or doing anything for a while. It's attached to the spine, you see, and you can imagine how much it hurts. For a moment, I actually felt sympathy. But then the Switch Card spun around, one of its wings smashing into me, so I had to stop sympathising so I could start flying again, and stop rolling over and over in the air. Once I'd managed to right myself, I turned to see what Eli and Switch were looking at.  
  
And that, although I didn't know it then, was the first time I saw Li. He was standing on top of a wall that surrounded the park, which was where we were, with the same determined look on his face that he still gets sometimes nowadays. Having cat eyesight, I was able to see the symbol of lightning on the yellow card he was still holding up. His sword was gripped in his other hand, and from the way he was holding it, it was clear he'd just used it. A stray breeze blew a few strands of brown hair across his face, and his rope wafted that way too.  
  
There was a moment's silence, then Switch fired another burst of fire at him. In a flash, Li had done a perfect front flip off the wall, passing straight over the flames. As he landed, he replaced his card of lightning with that of water, and threw it up, "Element: Water! Come to my aid!" A steam of water shot out of it, eliminating the new flames the demon had spat at him.  
  
The Card/demon growled, then switched into a pure shadow on the ground, merging with the rest of them. Li let out a breath he'd been holding without me noticing, then smiled weakly at Eli, "Hey." Just that. `Hey`. Like he did gymnastics whilst fighting wild cards all the time. Eli blinked, them shook his head, as if he was trying to get something out of it. Then he grinned, "Hi. And thanks. What's your name then."  
  
"Li. Li Showron." I practically fell out of the air at that. I'd never told Eli, but three generations after Clow Reed, the Reeds married into the Showron family. They changed their name to that, so that a descendant of the Showrons was a descendant of Clow Reed. Also, Showron is an actual word in the language of the Clow Cards, which is what is written on the magic circles and around the edges of the Dark Clow Cards. It means `Wolf`, and Li means `Ice`. So this boy's name translated as `Ice Wolf`. For a moment, that phrase sounded slightly familiar...  
  
Eli held out his hand, and Li shook it, "My name's Eli Moon." Another strange thing: Eli's name means the same as Li's, only with `burning` at the start. So Li Showron means Ice Wolf and Eli Moon translates as Burning Ice Moon. Oh, why did those titles sound so familiar?  
  
However, both boys seemed perfectly ignorant of the true meanings of their names, which was probably for the best. And even if I had wanted to tell them, I wouldn't have got a chance, because, since the ground between them suddenly seemed to explode upwards. They were flung backwards, Eli nearly colliding with me.  
  
Switch had taken the shape of a large black rock, which stretched up into the sky. Then a great blood-red eye formed in it, and gazed down at us. I stiffened, "Eli, don't think of that demon, or anything else like it! It's finding out what will scare you the most!" I looked over at Li, "You too, kid!"  
  
He glared at me, then looked up at the eye, "If it changes into something I'm scared of, you can figure out its weakness and attack!" Eli nodded, showing he approved, Li seemed to focus on something, and then Switch began to change.  
  
It shrank down to about half the height it had been, and the eye did the same. Then the rock stretched out, its body elongating as four legs formed. The stretching stopped when it had formed a curving tail, which turned out to be a snake's body when a head appeared at the end of it. A pair of broad feathery wings spread out of its back, and long claws slid out of the paws at the bottom of its legs. For the head, it formed what looked like a woman's, only for hair it had a hanging elaborate head-dress. It only had the single large red eye, now mixed in with gold, to see with, which was set in the centre of its face. The whole thing was pitch black, except for that single eye.  
  
I noticed Li stiffen, and realised that this, to him, was the same as the demon to Eli. Very scary, that is. Next to me, Eli whispered, "It's a sphinx, Spinner's Son. His greatest fear is a flipping SPHINX!" Sometimes it's very obvious Eli is half-English. He has a habit of cursing in a `British Way`.  
  
Li's grip on his sword tightened so much his knuckles went white as the Sphinx's single eye focused on him. Then a voice that sounded like woman's, yet with a snake's hissing, the deepness of a lion's roar, and an eagle's harsh call, rumbled out of its mouth, "Tell meeeeeeeeeee, what issssssssssssss the anssssssssssssssswer to the quessssssssstion?"  
  
Then it sprang at him. With a yell, he brought up his sword, but it just batted it away as if it was a toothpick. Then it swung a paw at him, and he had to get back as fast as he could. It growled, then leapt forwards, using its wings to hover so it could use all four paws. Li started running, and it flew after him, still trying to rip him apart, crying, "What isssssssss the ansssssswer to the quessssstion? What isssssssss the ansssssswer to the quessssstion?"  
  
I glanced over at Eli, "Eli, what does she keep saying that over and over and over again?"  
  
He rubbed his chin, "Well, in legends, sphinxes always ask riddles. To pass by them, you have to answer it correctly."  
  
"Oh yeah? Well then," I yelled over to the sphinx, "HEY! WHAT'S THE QUESTION ANYWAY?"  
  
It paused for a moment, looked over at me, then struck out at me with one paw. As I spun over in the air, it screamed, "Guessssssssss! Guessssssssss!"  
  
When I'd righted myself, I turned to Eli, "OK, so how are we meant to guess the answer, if it won't even tell us the question? I mean, you HAVE to know the question before saying the answer, right?"  
  
For a moment, he froze. Then, slowly, a smile began to spread over his face. He took a step forwards and declared, "I know the answer."  
  
Immediately, the sphinx stopped moving. Then it turned towards him, "What issssssssss it? What issssssssss it?"  
  
"The thing we have to guess, the answer is... the answer." It stared at him. Then it screamed and fell forwards. The feathers in its wings began to fall out, the snake began to shrivel up and die, and its claws shot back into its paws. In a few seconds, it looked dead.  
  
Of curse! The answer! It was the only logical solution. And grinned along with Eli, and Li joined in. Then Eli brought out the key, and held it out, "I call upon the powers of the day and the night. Sun and Darkness, unleash your might. Release!" It hovered in front of him, before spinning around to form the Sun Staff. He took it, then pointed it at Switch, "Return to your eternal prison, Switch Card!" A black card formed itself at the end of the staff, and slowly Switch became purely a blood red and gold essence, and was absorbed into the card.  
  
I sighed with relief as the Card swooped and around, landing in Eli's outstretched hand. One of the hardest to defeat, and he'd done it. I amused myself for a minute with the look on Kero Beros' face if he ever found out about it.  
  
Li smiled, walking up to us, "Nicely done."  
  
Eli grinned back, "Thanks to you."  
  
Oh no. I'd just remembered. Clow Reed had always preferred the original Clow Cards to the Dark ones, so he'd decided that his descendants could only help the Master of the Clow Cards. Li must have been passing through the park on his way to them, or at least, something not unlike that. He COULDN'T remember about Eli. There couldn't be ANY friendship between the two.  
  
As Li turned to go, I dived into Eli's pocket and drew out Memoria. That's the Card that controls memories. I flew up to him, "Eli, Li can't remember any of this. You have to take away his memories of everything that happened here."  
  
He stared at me, "WHAT?"  
  
I sighed, "Look, I'll explain later, but right now, you have to do it!" He stared some more, then an expression of resignation spread over his face. At least, I think that's what it was. He slowly slid Switch into his pocket and took Memoria from me. I noticed a tear sliding down his face as he flung it up in the air, "Memoria!"  
  
As the staff hit the Card, Memoria's spirit began to rise out of it. The spirit resembles (LM: It still exists, so the description is in present tense, not past) a soothing pale blue angel, with only two pieces of cloth covering its less respectable parts. It's actually one of the only Cards with an actual gender. It and Destiny are the two females in the deck. Actually, I think the most dangerous spirits are those two. One has the power to alter memories, the other can change destiny itself.  
  
As soon as Li heard Eli release her, he spun around. He stared as Memoria hovered in front of him, then looked over at Eli. The other boy couldn't meet his eyes. As Li opened his mouth in a silent whisper of `Why?`, Memoria breathed onto him, and he fell to the ground, asleep.  
  
As soon as Memoria returned to her card form, Eli spun on his heel and walked away extremely fast. I was about to follow when I noticed his shoulders were shaking, and not with laughter. I decided to give him a few minutes to calm down, and cry most of it off, before going after him.  
  
But I didn't know then that that night was the night he first began to become the ice-cold Lord of the Dark Clow Cards.  
  
***************************POV CHANGE***************************  
  
I am Draka, the Dark Guardian of the Moon. In my human form, I am Ruby Moon, Eli's elder sister. But in my true form, I have a pair of black-and- red butterfly wings, dress in clothes similar to those a butterfly might wear, and wear my hair loose, with two small buns. Hey, a girl has to look good.  
  
When the Dark Clow Cards were released, my spirit, in the shape of a butterfly, had to find a vessel. That means someone who could carry my spirit, and whose body I would take whenever I changed. Elsewhere, I knew Yue would be doing likewise, in the shape of a pure white eagle. He always was a show-off.  
  
As the Guardian of the Moon, my job was to become one with a suitable human near the Captor. In Yue's case, he needed to find someone close to Sakura; in my case, I needed to find someone close to Eli. When I found Ruby, I could sense that she was close to him. Of course, I didn't know THEN that she was his SISTER.  
  
She was sitting propped up against a tree, a book lying open in her lap. However, instead of reading it, her eyes were fixed on the sky. I began to flutter towards her, aiming for the hand she was using to keep her book open at the right page. Her eyes widened slightly when she saw me towards her, then she smiled and held out her hand, letting the book fall closed.  
  
I landed on it, and her face immediately lit up. She'd probably always wanted a butterfly to land on her hand. I fluttered my wings slightly, then I let my spirit sink into her. The butterfly took off, a new mind in control, and Ruby was left none the wiser for what had just happened.  
  
Of course, unlike Julian, Ruby figured it out in the end. She kept having blackouts whenever something strange happened, something always stopped her from signing on for school trips away from home, and when she woke up after blacking out, she was always somewhere else, with Eli.  
  
Finally, she sneaked into Eli's room when he was out, and found some of the Cards. As she picked them up for a closer look, Spinner's Son shot out from under the bed to stop her. When he realised his mistake, he explained everything to her. Luckily, she was fine with it. Now she just let's me take over if I need to, and even offers advice from time to time. Still, I know Eli stopped thinking of her as his sister the day I revealed myself.  
  
**************************************************************************** *  
  
"Return to your eternal prison, Destruction Card!"  
  
As a small butterfly, I watched as Eli captured the last of the Dark Clow Cards. I am able to send part of my spirit to a butterfly so I can keep an eye on Eli, as I was doing often back then to see what Eli was doing to capture the Cards. If he was just attacking-and-capturing, there wouldn't have been any point in even testing him. It requires a lot more than that to be the Lord of the Dark Clow Cards, you see.  
  
As the last of Destruction's spirit flowed into the Card, I gave the butterfly version of a smile. Any moment now... Then the darkness began to swirl around Spinner's Son. A pair of wings spread out and covered him, before unfolding again.  
  
Where the small cuddly-toy-like cat had been before, a large black wildcat was now. A light-blue four-pointed star with a darker blue jewel set in it was under his head, covering the top half of the front of his body. His black-and-light-blue wings were raised, and his eyes were like two burning sapphires. That's the only way to describe them.  
  
However, I don't know what Eli's reaction was, because my spirit had to return then to Ruby. After the Guardian Beast of the Sun has changed back, Yue and I have to just wait for the captor to seal the last Card. Then our full power returns and we become able to once again take our true forms. For, no matter how hard we try, we are Yue and Draka, not anyone else. I could never truly be Ruby.  
  
Because of the Hypnosis Card Eli had used earlier, Ruby was asleep when I returned, meaning I couldn't see what was going on. I waited for what seemed like hours, before I felt my old power returning. I gave an inner smile as I stretched out, feeling my wings break out and Ruby's hair plait itself into my style.  
  
Finally, I opened my eyes. Spinner's Son was looking at me in a resigned sort of way, but Eli was staring at me. Eventually he managed to stutter, "R...Ruby? W... What's g...going on?"  
  
Spinner's Son did his version of raising his eyebrows, meaning `your call`. I sighed inwardly, "Eli, I'm Ruby. I've been Ruby since the Dark Clow Cards were released." His mouth moved, trying to form a response, but know words came out.  
  
Then Spinner's Son explained, "Her name is Draka. She's the Guardian of the Moon, and helps me to keep the Cards under control. She's also your last test. To become the Lord of the Dark Clow Cards, you must defeat her."  
  
**************************************************************************** **  
  
He hadn't wanted to. But in the end, he did it. But even then, he wasn't fighting, not in the sense it took to beat me. But then, when I had him on the ropes, I noticed him stiffen. Then he looked up at me, and the pain had left his eyes. To him, I had ceased to be his sister.  
  
Then he defeated me, by somehow combining the two most cards I didn't control (Firestorm and Terra) into one almost invincible one. Ragnarok.  
  
The pain was indescribable. It was like my body was being slowly taken apart, cell by cell. And just when I thought blessed death would take me, it stopped. I fell to the ground, every part of me aching. Then I heard someone walk up to me. I looked up and saw Eli, holding up the card. Then he slipped it into his pocket and helped me to my feet. That's when I knew for sure. As soon as I was up, I named Eli the Lord of the Dark Clow Cards.  
  
Now, we are in Readington, the home of the Mistress of the Clow Cards, Sakura. And it seems Eli's past has begun to catch up to me. Li Showron is here too, you see. Eli has tried to ignore it, but I can't help noticing most of his tests seem to involve Li.  
  
I was just pondering all of this when I heard Spinner's Son say, "Eli, he can remember now. He isn't with the Mistress anymore, so he won't tell her. Would that make you happier? Because your brooding, to tell you the truth, is really starting to get on my nerves." For a moment, I saw a child's expression of surprise on Eli's face, before it vanished.  
  
Then he reached into his pocket and brought out two things: His Sun Key, and Memoria. As he said the familiar spell to release the Sun Staff, I felt a shiver pass through me. As the Guardian of the Moon, I am sensitive to the future. And right then, I felt a tremor pass through the fabric of time itself. What Eli would do, what would happen next... After this had finished, nothing and no-one would be the same again. Ever.  
  
******************************POV CHANGE*****************************  
  
As I felt my partner be released, I saw it. My vision showing my Lord and two Guardians began to flicker. A high pitched whine filled my ears as the scene switched to one in a forest.  
  
For a moment, I was confused. What was happening here that was so important? Then I saw the boy lying on the tree branch. Because it was so cold, it being December and all, his arms were wrapped around himself even in his sleep. Out of instinct, I reached out and stroked his hair, hoping to comfort him in some way.  
  
When his eyes opened, I knew who he was. There was a great magical depth in those, that which I hadn't seen since Clow Reed. He was Li Showron, Clow Reed's direct descendant. As I gazed into those magical eyes, unable to look away, I felt Memoria drawing close to us.  
  
I spun around, and L sat up, as if he could sense her coming too. Then her angelic form swirled into being at the end of the branch. She winked at me, then smiled at him. He moved back against the trunk, getting into a standing position, and reached for his sword, strapped onto his back.  
  
However, before he could do anything else, Memoria breathed onto him. Immediately his hand dropped down to his side, and his eyes close. When he started to fall to one side, I grabbed him, then looked at Memoria, "I'll stay here for a bit. He's going to need help, even if it's only on the spiritual level."  
  
She nodded, then faded away. I was left on that branch, with the sleeping Li in my arms. As I looked through the leaves at the Moon, I whispered, "`The wolf's golden eyes see the Moon, the blossom's sapphire eyes see the stars, but the eyes of ebony can only see the darkness`. Li... Sakura... Please. I know you can save Eli. You just have to take courage and admit the friendship you refuse to see. Soon, before the darkness takes him forever."  
  
I looked down at Li, and saw a single tear slide down from his closed lids, glimmering in the Moon's silver light.  
  
  
  
Eli: And with that the actual plot broke into lots of little pieces.  
  
Lady Moon: Oh sure, spoil the mood, why don't you.  
  
E: OK #draws in breath #  
  
LM: OK, OK... Look, guys, I'm really sorry if this confused you, but I wrote this when I really didn't understand the actual plot of the Second Season.  
  
E: That much is obvious.  
  
LM: SHUT UP!!!!!!!!!!!! Anyway, basically, in this Eli is like the Dark version of Sakura, instead of the reincarnation of Clow Reed. He's the Lord (Master) of the Dark Clow Cards, which are like the negative versions of the normal Clow Cards. Follow?  
  
E: Just get on with it so I can get out of here.  
  
LM: Eli... Shut. It. Anyway, before I close this, just a few notes I want to make to my wonderful reviewers:  
  
Kamehameha: Well, here's more! And whilst it's not finished, you may be getting an idea of how it might turn out.  
  
ARCHANGEMON: Ha HA!!!! I continued!!!!! Now you can't flame me!  
  
Darkoverlord: THANKYOU SO MUCH FOR ADDING ME TO YOUR FAVOURITES!!!!!!!!!!!! THANKYOU!!!!! #calms down # I'm going to use a couple of ideas from your e- mail, so don't be surprised if they show up!  
  
Amalthea: How could I think it was finished??? Even if I did, the idea would keep bugging me. ^_^. Rest assured.  
  
Oh, and updates will be slow because I like to write these out first then type them up. Sorreeeeeee.......  
  
Eli: Oh sure, spelling mistakes will REALLY win them over...  
  
  
  
P.S. LM: If you get bored, feel free to work out who the last person's POV was. I have mentioned them. If you work it out and say it in a review, feel free to say a particular POV you want. And the next one won't be out for a bit because first I want to finish a Christmas fluff fic. ^_^. 


End file.
